Junior venture companies in Canada are finally seeing a significant lift. In early January, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index rose above the 200-day moving average for the first time in three years. The index is also very close to experiencing a golden cross.

A recent TIME Magazine cover features an engaging collage of the 50 states reassembled to fit within the boundaries of Texas. With a growing number of solid-paying jobs, affordable housing, and low taxes, “the Lone Star State is America’s Future,” declares economist and writer Tyler Cowen.

After a spike in flake graphite in 2011, have prices finally reached bottom? Ron Struthers believes so. In this interview, Struthers talks about how market psychology and fundamentals may play out in the graphite and rare earths spaces as new mines inch toward production.

While not all was well and back to normal this morning, electronic trading quotes enabled us to round up some prices for you to glance at. Spot gold was last seen near $1,713 while silver traded at $32 per ounce on the bid-side.

We are not aware of any other active silver exploration company having recently started with an aggressive exploration program based on that many and high-grade samples from surface. We rate the prospects for an exploration success as exquisitely high.

Investors will get a front row preview to the first quarter earnings season when bellwether Alcoa Inc. reports its results Tuesday after the close. The aluminum producer is expected to report a loss of 4 cents a share.

The rising demand for silver bullion products with 99.99% fineness has started a new trend - silver denominated notes reminiscent of turn of the century American silver certificates are becoming quite popular.